New York Jets: Stop being stubborn and sign Zach Wilson

The New York Jets have started training camp but rookie quarterback Zach Wilson is not on the field amid a contract dispute with the franchise.

It seems like a tale as old as time; the New York Jets and their first-round draft picks having some sort of issue prior to the start of the season.

The team reported to training camp along with 28 other teams on July 27 and began practicing — but without rookie starting quarterback Zach Wilson. Wilson is absent from camp due to a contract dispute between his agent and the Jets, presumably over offsetting language in the deal.

Michael Nania from JetsXFactor broke down why Wilson and the Jets could be struggling to strike a deal already:

"A primary reason for the Wilson-Jets dispute could be the fact that fellow first-round quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields signed contracts that do not include offset language. Wilson’s team could be using them as an argument in the BYU product’s favor."

Unfortunately, this is an all-too familiar situation for Gang Green.

Zach Wilson’s contract issues cause the worst kind of deja vu for New York Jets fans.

For those who may not be familiar, this isn’t the first time the Jets have done this to their newly acquired quarterback.

In fact, only three years ago, the Jets did this to Sam Darnold for the same exact reason. In that negotiation, the Jets ended up winning their argument. They had the offsetting language established into the contract and it seems that they won’t reach a deal with Zach Wilson until the same is done with him, as reported by SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano.

In 2016, the team had a similar standoff current Washington starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. That too ended up being drawn out and ugly. In both cases, the players were eventually signed, but not without a lot of unnecessary drama.

This entire situation is ridiculous. If the Jets were to have to utilize that offsetting contract, in reality, it would be a catastrophic failure on their end. It would mean the team picked the wrong quarterback at the No. 2 pick, mishandling a top-three selection in the NFL Draft once again — an indictment on the front office and still fresh general manager Joe Douglas more than anything else.

If the New York Jets are so concerned about the possibility of Wilson being in trouble, suspended, or on a different team before the end of his rookie deal, why did they draft him? At some point, Jets ownership needs to reflect confidence in their process and selections.

Not only is this standoff between the  Jets and Zach Wilson utterly silly, it only hinders the team going forward. The longer Wilson goes unsigned, the worse it gets as a young player isn’t working with his new teammates and picking up the offensive system. The Jets need to put their ego aside and get a deal done with their No. 2 overall pick.